Why Are My Ooey Gooey Christmas Cookies Spreading Too Much?

Excessive spreading usually happens when the dough is too warm. Butter and cream cheese soften quickly, so chilling the prepared dough before forming the cookies helps them maintain a thicker shape in the oven. Make sure you are also using softened rather than melted butter. Melted butter can produce a much looser dough and cause your Christmas cookies to spread before their structure has time to set. If you are baking several trays, keep any unused dough refrigerated while the first batch is in the oven.

How Do I Know When Ooey Gooey Christmas Cookies Are Done?

Ooey Gooey Christmas Cookies should look set around the edges while remaining soft in the center. They may appear slightly underbaked when you first remove them from the oven, which is exactly what helps preserve their tender, gooey texture. The cookies continue to set as they rest on the hot baking sheet. Baking them until the centers look completely dry can result in firm or cakey cookies rather than soft gooey butter cookies. Allow them to cool briefly on the pan before transferring them carefully to a wire rack.

Can I Make Ooey Gooey Christmas Cookies Ahead of Time?

Yes. The cookie dough can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to bake. Keeping the dough chilled also makes the sticky cream cheese mixture easier to scoop and roll. You can also bake the cookies ahead of a Christmas party or cookie exchange. Once completely cool, store them in an airtight container to help maintain their soft texture. For longer storage, freeze the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between the layers. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before serving.

Easy Ooey Gooey Christmas Cookies for the Holidays

Name: Ooey Gooey Christmas Cookies
Prep time: PT-497706H2M48S
Cook time: PT-497706H2M48S
Total time: PT-497706H2M48S
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 8 ounces cream cheese, softened; 1 box yellow cake mix; 1 large egg; 1 cup confectioner’s sugar; 1/2 cup Christmas sprinkles, divided

Description

Ooey Gooey Christmas Cookies are rich, soft, melt-in-your-mouth cake mix cookies made with cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and festive Christmas sprinkles. They are easy to prepare and perfect for holiday cookie trays, parties, gifts, and Christmas cookie exchanges.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 box yellow cake mix
1 large egg
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup Christmas sprinkles, divided

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, vanilla extract, egg, and cream cheese until fluffy and well combined.
Add the yellow cake mix and stir until a soft dough forms.
Gently stir 1/4 cup of the Christmas sprinkles into the cookie dough.
Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 to 40 minutes.
Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and roll it into 1-inch balls.
Roll each dough ball in the remaining Christmas sprinkles, then coat generously with confectioner’s sugar.
Arrange the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and just beginning to turn golden while the centers remain soft.
Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Chill the dough for 30 to 40 minutes before shaping so the cookies do not spread too much while baking.
Use a 1-inch cookie scoop to keep the cookies evenly sized for consistent baking.
Do not overbake the cookies. The centers should remain soft when they come out of the oven.
Allow the cookies to cool before serving because cake mix cookies can be delicate while warm.
Store cooled Ooey Gooey Christmas Cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
For longer storage, freeze the cookies in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature before serving.
The powdered sugar coating may absorb moisture during storage, so dust the cookies with additional confectioner’s sugar before serving if desired.

Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus 30-40 minutes chilling
Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 182 kcal
Sugar: 18 g
Sodium: 224 mg
Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 26 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 2 g
Cholesterol: 27 mg